Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Media Watch: Newspaper cheerleads for rape of Mother Earth

The road into New Town, North Dakota, on the land of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations (Fort Berthold, July 31, 2011.) Photo by Brenda Norrell/Censored NewsMedia Watch: Indian Country Today hits a new all time lowBy Brenda Norrell
Censored Newshttp://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

NEW TOWN, North Dakota -- The newspaper Indian Country Today didn't show up to cover the Protecting Mother Earth Gathering and now has an article cheerleading the rape of the earth and the ongoing devastation by the oil and gas industry.

Perhaps the newspaper would have been less likely to publish a press release, during the newspaper's downward spiral, if its reporters or editors had been present at the Gathering and listened to the people here, and witnessed the carnage by the oil and gas industry.

Perhaps if Indian Country Today had listened to Kandi Mossett tell of how her 23-year-old friend was killed by one of these trucks here, the newspaper would not have been so careless in what it posts for profit.

"We can't drink the oil," Kandi said, as the tears fell from her eyes, remembering her friend and others being driven off the road by these trucks.

Maybe if Indian Country Today had listened to Kandi, and the other Native youths, and elders here of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nations, speak of how the land, water and air is being poisoned, how the truck diesel and pollution spills onto the land, the newspaper would not have been so irresponsible.

Perhaps if the newspaper's staff had listened to the elders here tell how greed for money is destroying the nation today, it would not have carelessly published an article cheering for the oil and gas industry and the elected politicians.

Perhaps if the newspaper's staff had heard the elders speak of how the Three Affiliated Nations at Fort Berthold, were devastated by colonizers during the smallpox genocide, the editors would have taken their responsibility more seriously to both show up for the Gathering of Indigenous Peoples from across the Americas, and then publish the facts.

Maybe if the staff of Indian Country Today had been there, choking on the dust and gagging from the gas flaring, the staff might not have rushed to support President Tex Hall's ongoing publicity campaign.

The minimum for a newspaper is to show up and report the facts.

For Indian Country Today to engage in a counter campaign to this Gathering, and carelessly support the destruction of the earth, while publicizing its favored politicians, is what this newspaper does best.

The newspaper hit an all time low.

Please continue to boycott this newspaper.
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.Please listen to the audio files from the Protecting Mother Earth Gathering, on the land of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara, of the Indigenous Environmental Network, July 28-31, recorded by Earthcycles and Censored News:http://www.earthcycles.net/ienearth

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